Shutter for motion-picture machines.



A. D. STANDEFORD.

SHUTTER FOR MOTION PICTURE MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 21, 1911.

1,091,543. I Patented Mar.31,1914,

WITNESSES: 2 F9 E j INVENTORS A TTORNE Y UNITED STATES n ENT OFFICE.

ARCHIE D. STANDEFORD, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

SHUTTER FOR MOTION-PICTURE MACHINES.

, Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

Application filed December 21, 1911. Serial No. 667,074.

To all whom it may concern Be it'known that I, ARCHIE D. STANDE- FORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at'Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shutters for Motion-Picture Machines, of which the following is a specification I My invention relates to new and useful improvements in shutters for motion picture machines, and my object is to provide a shutter of this character whereby the period of non-exposure of the pictures ma be reduced to a minimum, to the end t at said pictures'may be projected upon a screen with greater clearnessand brilliancy than heretofore, and without the usual flicker incident to comparatively long periods of nonexposure. I

It is-well known among those conversant with the art that the elimination of flicker in pictures depends upon the period of nonexposure. The longer the period of nonexosure, the greater the contrast between ight and darkness, and, the greater the flicker. Owing to the comparatively long travel of the ordinary shutter, to cover or cannot be re eyesight, is obviated.

uncover the icture, the period of darkness duced, because a longer period of exposure would blur the picture on account of exposure of the film during the period ofmovement. I overcome this difficulty with my new shutter by reducing the travel thereof to a minimum, so that the period of nonexposure will likewise be reduced to a minimum. Owing to the short .travel 'of my improved shutter, the inter- In order that the lnvention may be fully understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a broken plan viewof a moving picture machine provided withmy improved shutter. Fig. 2 is afront elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a diagram of my improved shutter in relative position'to the ob ective lens of the moving picture machine.

A designates the 'casin of a movin picobjective lens B inclosed in a mounting C, fixed to thefront side of easing A.

-1 designates my improved shutter, ar-

ture machine of any or lnary or pre erred type provided atits forward side with an ranged in front of lens B and its mounting V C, as shown in Fig. 1. Shutter 1 comprises a 'lurality of blades 2, united by a pair of si e pieces 3, one of which has a centrallydisposed laterally-projecting rock-shaft 4,

:PI'OVlClML'Wlth a crank-arm'5, entering the peripheral groove'G of a wheel 7. Rockshaft 4 is mounted in the upper end of a telescopic bracket comprising a right-angle section 8 and a tubular section 9,'the former being slidably-mounted in the latter and provided with a set-screw 10 to en age and lock section 8 at any point of its a justment in section 9, which is secured to the front end of easing A. Said adjustable bracket per-v mits the shutter to be adjusted forward or backward to accommodate lenses of diflerent focus.

Groove 6 is, substantially, zigzag in shape, as shown in Fig. 1, to carry crank-arm-5 back and forth and oscillate the shutter 1.

Wheel 7 is adjustably-mounted u on a shaft D, so that it may be adjusted bac ward or forward with the shutter to bring the same into proper relation withtherays of light rojected by lens B upon the screen (not s own), said wheel being secured at any of its adjusted positions by aset-screw 11. Shaft D is driven at high speed by the gearing which controls movement of the film (not shown). This speed is predetermined,

so that the rooved' wheel 7 will throw the shutter to t e dotted position Fig. 3, and

shut oil the rays of light during movement of-the film. The speed is such as to also throw the shutter to the dotted position one or more times during exposure of a picture, and owing to the exceedingly short travel of the shutter,-the resultantperiods of darkness are so short as to be imperceptible to the eye, with the result that flickering of the picture on the screen is eliminated. The necessary movement of the. shutter is dependent.

upon the number. of blades which it contains, it being obvious that the movement may be diminished as the number of blades is increased, and vice versa. As the blades are exceedingly thin and divergingly arranged to correspond with the rays of light projected through lens B, they will not obstruct said rays sufliciently to be perceptible to the eye.

If desired, the movement of the shutter may be shortened to allow a portion of the light to be thrown on the screen during the period of nonexposure'of the picture, and thus obviate the decided contrast between total darkness and brilliant light common where the ordinary type of shutter is employed.

hile I have shown and described the preferred construction of my invention, I do not wish to be confined to the exact construction and arrangement of the parts as shown, but reserve the right to make such changes as properly fall \within the spirit and scope of the" appendedc'laims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

- 1. In an apparatus of the character described, a shutter consisting of a plurality of blades arranged edgewise in the rays of light projected from the apparatus, a suitably-mounted rock-shaft fixed to said shutter, and means to actuate said rock-shaft.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a shutter consisting of a plurality of blades arranged edgewise in light projected from the apparatus, a suitably-mounted rock-shaft fixed to said shutter, a crank-arm fixed to said rock-shaft, and a rotary wheel having an irregular groove, the sides of which actuate said crankarm.

3. In combination with a picture projecting machine,

the rays of a -shutter consisting of. a plu- J rality of blades arranged edgewise in the y rays of light projecting from said picture machine, and means controlled by said picture machine, to oscillate said blades to periodically interrupt the rays of light.

In testimony whereoil afiix my signature. in the presence of two witnesses.

, ARC-HIE nsTANDEFonn Witnesses: I

F. G. FISCHER, I l E. C. LILLIAN. 

